A Glendale police officer who kicked a trapped teen in the face inside a Galleria mall has been charged with assault, prosecutors said Monday.
Gonzalo Zendejas, 39, was charged with one count of assault under the guise of authority in connection with the incident. Shoplifting alarm inside Dick’s Sporting Goods store.
Video of the arrest, first released by CBS, shows multiple officers wrestling and beating the teen as he was held down. Zendejas, who is the only officer charged, can be seen kicking the fallen teenager in the face. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the other officers involved in the arrest or on the condition of the teen who was attacked.
“While police officers face an extremely challenging and difficult job as they work to protect our communities, that responsibility does not excuse conduct that endangers others or undermines public trust,” Dist. Atty. George Gascon said in a statement. “This incident was a serious breach of the duty of integrity and respect for the service.”
Sgt. Glendale police spokesman Vahe Abramyan said Zendejas has been on administrative leave since the incident. The other three officers involved in the arrest have now returned to work, Abramyan said.
Zendejas has not yet appeared in court but faces up to three years in prison if convicted. It’s unclear who his attorney is.
